Result Details

Day 6, the last day of the Magic Marine Topper National Championships continued with the lighter airs of day 5 with a forecast of hot sunshine. Nathan Batchelor delivered the coaches Tip of the Day suggesting that concentration would be the key, especially in the later races and also that if this is the sailors last Topper event then look back on it with fond memories – remembering that this is, has been & always will be “The Friendly Class”.

Dave Cockerill announced that ITCA (GBR) are going to have a National 4.2 Squad this winter coached by himself for those sailors who are more suited to the smaller 4.2 sail than the 5.3. More details to follow at a parents briefing in the marquee and via the Topper website.

The fleet was launched in the usual efficient manner and set off to a slightly closer race area than previously used this week for a 12noon 1st start of 2 planned final races. The postponed flag was raised due to light & shifty airs and it was shortly after 1pm that the Gold fleet race got under way with a few noted individual recalls – Silver and Bronze fleets followed behind. Felicity Foulds was the first boat home, a result that would have taken to the top of the leaderboard had she not been OCS!, Finn Lynch took the gold fleet win with 12yr old Chris Towers winning the Silver fleet race and Dan Venables the Bronze fleet race.

This was to be the only race that was achieved today as the wind shifted and went light, by 2:50 the abandonment signals were raised and the fleet headed for shore and the final pack up.

In the end it was the remarkable consistency of results that gave Christopher Eames the Magic Marine Topper National Championship, he did all the hard work early in the week and did not take a race win in the Final part. Youth sailors Oliver Wright & Felicity Foulds led the chasing pack but their attempts to beat Chris were to no avail this time. In the Silver fleet it was Robbie Robinson who took 1st place with Christopher Berry and Hannah Chambers not far behind. In Bronze fleet James Cunnison was triumphant with Tom Methven and Ariana Nielsen Timms taking the final podium places.

This has without doubt been a very successful event, extremely professional race management,a great social programme and a safety fleet that was ready and able to cope with all the weathers that were sent, it has to be said that the full range of winds was sent to Pwllheli this week making the racing level for the wide variety of helm sizes. Charles Glover, Chairman of ITCA GBR was pleased to address the audience at the prizegiving in Welsh, he announced that next years Topper National Championships would be returning to Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club and a cheer came back from the rather large crowd of sailors and supporters.

For those that were away from Pwllheli, Phil Harland has been keeping a blog about the event, beamed live to the bar in Pwllheli & out over the internet this has proved extremely popular as working parents, grand parents, aunts & uncles have been kept up to speed, the GBR Topper website has recorded a 500+ increase in hits per day during the blog.